Toy catapult



Aug. 7, 1928. 1,680,077

F. E. ALLENDER A TOY GATAPULT Filed June l5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventar Z5' Zl-f'f'ed ErZlm/dew F. E. ALLENDER TOY CATAPULT Filedqun@ 15, 192'?cf z sheets-sheet 2 "www lil

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l'llhis invention relates to new and usellul improvements in toy catapulta, and aims to provide a highly novel, simple and amusing device wherein ohjects may he hurled through the air in rapid manner tor lrnoclring down toy soldiers7 aeroplanesa heats, etc., hut which canT on a larger scale he successn tully employed as a trench mortar in throw ing hand grenades, incendiary and other lrinds ot homhs..

Furthermore the device ,can he so con-- structed `as toL he employed tor the projection ol clay halls in trap shooting, and this in a much more rapid manner than any similar device now in use.

lin carrying1 out my invention, there is provided a construction generally simulating a rapid tire gun, the projecting structure per se? helingp so mounted upon a supporting1 tripod as to permit the harrel ot the gun to he raised or lowered and to he swung upon a horizontal anisn in order that the projectiles may loe discharged in a predetermined direction.

Vlhe invention. turther aims to provide a catapult ot the hereinhelore mentioned character that is ol exceedingly simple con structiomthe same emhodyinp; hut tew parts and these so compactly and mechanically sciently arranged., as to reduce the possihility ot breakage and inoperation lto a minimum.

@ther olojects and advantages of the invention will become apparent trom the tollowinp; description when talren in connection with the drawings.

lnthe accompanying; drawings forming `part ol' this application llligure l is a side 4elevation ol my im proved catapult,

litigi. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sec tional view lor more clearly disclosing the supporting means tor the projecting unit. wherein said unit may he raised or lowered or swung upon a horizontal airis, and also lor more clearly disclosing the projecting mechanism per se.

llip. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the projectile harrel and feed chamher therefory also disclosing the means wherehy the force ot the projecting elements may he regulatedu llig.. t is a hottom plan view of the catapuit. and

llig. 5 is a yperspective ot the adjwustgng element per se, tor the spring projecting hlade.,

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lllow having" particular relerence to the drawings, my novel catapult consists oit' a supportingP tripod including a circular hase li trom which depends converging,I and supporting legs 6 preferably of detachable secu ions The hase 5 olf the tripod is termed at its top lace and adjacent its edgre with a circunr' lierential channel for receiving hall hearings l". Disposed upon this hase' 5 is a circular plate d equipped centrally with a depending pivot pin 9 arranged through and secured within a central opening in the tripod hase 5., the under side ol' said plate 8 heing also circumlierentially channeled tor receiving said hall hearings l, (see lllig. 2).

The top side ol this plate 8 is termed at its edge thereot with upstandingm and spaced standards lO-lU while located hetween the standards is a horizontal worm ll attached to the inner end o'lE a rearwardly projectinpjD shatt l2, the extreme outer end oli' which isequipped with a hand wheel i3, to lacilitate the turning ol the worm.

"llhe invention lurther consists ot a projcctineF unit ll ol sheet metal or other suitahlc material constructed to simulate the magazine ol a machine nun, the lorward end of which is shaped to simulate the breech ell the gun.

Located horizontally within this unit ld and projecting;r through the lorward end thereof? is a barrel l5, the rear end of which terminates vertically to provide a projectile leed trough 16, which trough entends ahove the hody ot the unit as clearly indicated in itin". 2,

The opposite side walls of the unit il ade j jacent the lower edpfe ot the magazine por tion thereot are equipped with trunnions ll which are mounted within hearings at the upper edges ot the plate standards l0-l0. rllhe hottorn wall ot said magazine simulai-ting portions ot the unit ld is of curved formation and is provided externally with spaced raclr teeth l@ il'or mesh with the teeth of the worm ll., with the obvious result that when the worm is rotated, the unit ll will he raised or lowered..

Furthermore, the hottorrl .surface ot the plate 8 within the edge thereof is formed with a ring gear i9 in spaced relation with the base 5 of the tripod which ring gear has mesh with a gear 20 upon the inner end ol a suitably journaled shaft 2l, the outer end of which is equipped with a hand wheel 229 tid till

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lill) lltl this construction being provided to facilitate the turning of the entire projecting unit upon a horizontal axis.

Located within the projecting unit 14 beneath the feed chamber 16, is a horizontal shaft 23 upon which is mounted a disk 24,

i .the "periphery 'of which is equipped with radiating projecting blades 25 of heavy lspring metal, the outer ends of which are tion of said shaft and consequently the prothrough said lu -jecting blade 25.

The top wall of the projecting unit 14 is directly in back of the projectile feed chamber 16, and is longitudinally slotted as at 29, while at the rear end of the slot, there is provided an upstanding lug havin a threaded opening therethrough. Threa' ed through y this opening is f an elongated threaded pin 31, headed as at 32 at its outer end to facilitate the lturning of said pin The forward end of this pin 31 is swive ed within a tongue 33 that projects vertically through the slot 39, said tongue being formed u on the upper end of an abutment block 34, gor the spring blades 25 which blockis as clearly disclosed in Figs. 2 and 3, located within the body 14 at the rear end of the barrel 15.

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Furthermore, the'degree of bow may be v regulated by the positioning of the block 34 towards and away from the barrel 15, thus regulating the force bywhich the projectiles are hurled from said barrel 15.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a highly novel, simple, and eiliciently operating catapult., that may be employed for the purposes heretofore designated, and even vthough `I have herein shown and described the invention, as consisting of certain detail structural elements, it is nevertheless to b e understood that some changes may be made therein without affecting the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a catapult of the character described, a chamber, a horizontal barrel within this chamber and projecting through the forward end thereof, the rear end of the barrel being slotted, means for feeding projectiles through the rear end of the barrel, a rotor within the chamber beneath the rear end of said barrel, springblades radiating from the periphery of the rotor, the outer ends of said -blades adapted for movement through the barrel slots for engagement with the projectile disposed within the barrel, means adjacent the barrel for causing the rearward bending Aof the blades whereby upon being released they will swing into engagement with the projectiles, means for causing the movement of said rotor, said first mentioned means consisting of a block within the chamber at the rear of the barrel, the lower edge of said block being equipped with a roller to facilitate the easy stripping of the blades thereby.

2. In a catapult of the character described, a chamber, a horizontal barrel within this chamber and projecting through the forward end thereof, the rear end of the barrel being slotted, means for feedin projectiles through the rear end of the arrel, a rotor within the chamber beneath the rear lend of said barrel, spring blades radiating from the periphery of the rotor, the -outer ends thereof adapted for movement through the barrel slots for engagement with the projectile within the barrel, means adjacent the barrel for causing the rearward bendin of the blades which upon bein release will swing into engagement wit the projectile, means for causing the movement of said rotor, said irst mentioned means consisting of a block within the chamber at the rear of t-he barrel, the lower edge of said block bemg equipped with a roller to facilitate the easy stripping of the" blades thereby, and means whereby the block may be adjusted toward or away from the barrel to regulate the degree of bend of said blade.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature.

FRED E. ALLENDER. 

